So the grandest of all Christian celebrations is upon us. This year, Friday April 7th is Good Friday. Sunday April 9th is Easter. Or Resurrection Day as some prefer to call it.

The two dates vary from year to year. Why? It’s, well, complicated. Why do these two occasions give us the grandest of our faith celebrations as Christ followers? Because we get to color Easter eggs? Uh…wrong answer.

Let’s try to figure this out. The Bible has a very clear account of what took place on what we call Good Friday. I assume you know the story. Let’s check.

Jesus was crucified in a most cruel fashion on a cross on Good Friday because…

• A. He was a known criminal like the other two who were on crosses.
• B. He refused to heal animals as well as people.
• C. He claimed to be the son of God.

I hope you answered “C.” But the answer is incomplete! This next question clears it up.

Jesus willingly gave up His life to be crucified in order that…

• A. People would be convinced He was a tough guy.
• B. He would prove to His followers that the Romans could not break Him.
• C. An ultimate sacrifice for the forgiveness of sin would be paid once and for all.

Again, “C” should be your right answer.

Yes, BUT…why was the Resurrection so important?

• A. It showed you can’t keep a good man down.
• B.  It revealed Jesus had mastered survival techniques.
• C. It proved that Jesus had authority to conquer even death!

Let’s go with “C.”

How marvelous are these truths? It’s impossible to calculate their worth. God’s love is so rich, so amazing, that the Apostle Paul writes: ”…And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” (Eph. 3:17-19, ESV)

Here’s a fourth question. If you asked your children why we honor Good Friday and Easter, what answers would they give?

Christmas and Easter events are rightfully the two most significant occasions each year on our calendars. And the two most distorted! Cultural traditions have so thoroughly blurred the distinctiveness of the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ that the truths of the Gospel story take a back seat to Santa and the Easter Bunny.

As in years past, a number of articles have surfaced about how to deal with this radical shift from truth. One column I noticed this year is titled, “What Do I Tell My Kids About the Easter Bunny?” The writer claims that symbols used to celebrate our Christian holidays “come from pagan roots rather than Christian traditions (and predate Christianity).”

This writer, Michelle S. Lazurek, explains why the date of Easter changes. And then we get an everlasting gobstopper right in our face: “Christian parents who celebrate the Easter Bunny are no different than those who celebrate Christmas by putting up a Christmas tree.” I personally find that easy to dispute.

There certainly are historical references to the use of evergreen boughs in pagan celebrations, But as even the History Channel notes, “Germany is credited with starting the Christmas tree tradition as we now know it in the 16th century when devout Christians brought decorated trees into their homes.” I don’t recall the Germans welcoming the arrival of the Easter Bunny.

Ms. Kazurek’s solution is as one might commonly hear: “…Christians should always listen to their conscience. If they feel they are dishonoring Christ by celebrating the Easter Bunny or having an Easter basket, they should refrain from doing so.”

Is that the answer? I can’t say definitively. But I’m rather confident that the more Christian parents blur the true meaning of Christmas and RESURRECTION day, the less convincing we are in advocating the truths we treasure most. Or should.

Santa stories may bring hope. But it’s the hope for more stuff for us. The Easter Bunny may bring hope. But it’s the hope of finding the most eggs. Jesus Christ brings authentic life-giving hope. I’m putting all my eggs into His basket.

Next to Jesus Christ and “love,” Christmas is probably the most popular theme for music.  For most Americans, Christmas has been, as the song says, “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!”  But why is this so?

I will tip my hat to the purist who complains that Christmas is commercialized and secularized.  This is certainly and disappointingly true, but I would like to suggest that there is still more to the holiday than the commercials; and it is possible to use the season to promote the message that Christmas should communicate to the nation which it desperately needs at a time such as now.

Anyone familiar with the actual history of Christianity knows that the early church did not celebrate Christ’s birth at all, but rather His resurrection, and certainly did not honor December 25^th.  These were later inventions.

But does their lateness negate their value altogether?  Not necessarily, if for no other reason than that even critics acknowledge that the nation and culture soften noticeably during the weeks leading up to the holiday.

So, that is where I will begin:  The beautiful ”season” of Christmas that most Americans have come to love with carols, lights, decorations, gift-giving, and cheesy movies.  (I will only mention in passing that the Leftist Christmas critics prove that generally, despite their claim of seeking unity and peace, they are dividers and destroyers at heart).  One must ask why our modern Christmas season exists in the first place.  The answer might inform us regarding the real message behind the holiday, and why the Left loathes it so.

Interestingly, the most well-known Bible text, John 3:16, gives the theological basis of Christianity and thus the “Reason for the Season:”  “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”  Giving is the hallmark of love, and most people would say that the primary emphasis of Christmas is giving.  It should not be overlooked that times of joy and celebration in the Bible (the Feast of Purim, for example) were often marked by giving gifts to friends and family.  And while it is true that creative businesspeople have been quite adept at exploiting the Christmas season for their own purposes, it still has giving at its heart.  And many charities which meet the genuine needs of millions of Americans find their coffers significantly replenished during the Christmas season.

Thus, while Christmas celebrations over the last few decades may have distorted the message that should correlate with Christ’s birth, it is difficult to completely eclipse the One whose birth is, at least theoretically, celebrated on December 25^th.  Christmas has been under assault for many years, directly and indirectly:  From businesses forbidding employees to greet customers with “Merry Christmas,” to schools and communities cancelling Christmas programs altogether or replacing them with “Winter Celebrations.”

So it is that America’s public Christmas is a mere adumbration of the real celebration which ought to be, so we will begin with that:

IT IS A TIME OF JOY-and joy is the spirit of the message the angels brought to the shepherds alerting them of Christ’s birth.  “Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.  For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior. . . .”

It is joyful because it is the intervention of God into the tragic circumstances of men.  To know that our Creator is actively intervening to bring us aid ought to be thrilling to everyone.

It is joyful because truth is being brought to bear on the problems of men.  So many philosophers and “wise men” have made their suggestions, and so many tyrants have promised peace and prosperity, yet have failed because they did not and would not address the real problem, the sinfulness of humanity.

It is joyful because the source of the malaise which our sin created has been countered by the death of Christ on the cross so that all who repent, and trust Christ as Savior are liberated from sin’s guilt and are made children of God! (John 1:12).

IT IS ABOUT GIVING-At the heart of America’s public Christmas and its source, Christ’s coming as a babe to live a perfect life, die a vicarious death, and rise eternally, is the epitome of giving.  It has been said that “you can give without loving, but you cannot love without giving.”  The message of the Bible is that of God taking a personal interest in the affairs of men, giving of Himself, and giving what was necessary to deliver those who desire deliverance from their own self-destruction.

IT IS ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS-If families are not able to gather often, most still find ways to be together around Christmas.  And while gifts and toys may be a focal point for children, the memories of family times past draw them together.  It is truly a family holiday.  And so it is with the original.  God sent His Son; and He provides that those who trust Him will be called His children, “As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God,” (John 1:12 NKJV).

IT IS ABOUT CHRIST-This should go without saying, but with the cancel culture of our day we need to be reminded that the “most wonderful time of the year” is wonderful because it is about Jesus Christ!  I cannot imagine celebrating someone’s birthday while excluding the one whose birthday is being celebrated, yet that is what so many Americans are doing without thinking about it; and it is what the anti-Christian mob advocates.  But I would suggest that rejecting Jesus Christ has eternal consequences.  Those who would irradicate all references to God or Christ from American culture and vernacular do so for the same reason some would do away with police and courts: they wish to live without restraint.  Dangerous indeed!

IT IS ABOUT BELIEVING-That is, believing, trusting what God has said in His letter to mankind.  There is no other source of wisdom that can compete with the Bible.  It has been with us for thousands of years, has transformed untold millions of lives and changed the course of history.  Wherever it has intersected with verifiable events it has been found accurate, and those who have trusted it have discovered peace.  Its message is simple yet profoundly rich.  It answers the questions that haunt our thoughts and explains the trauma that is our story.  Our sins have offended the sinless One and separated us from His presence.  That separation, without His intervention, is irreparable by any effort of our own, and worse, we have not sought its repair.  Thus, in love He bore our guilt and covered the cost with His own death on a Roman cross that a way of reconciliation might be provided.  All that is required of us is that we heed His call, believe His Word, and trust His promise to forgive our sin! As He explains it: “Whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16 NKJV).

The chaos and cacophony that surrounds us today ought to be all we need to understand that after some six thousand years of history no plan of man has brought relief, and that if we do not find salvation in God, there is none to be found!  It is in this knowledge that we find the Christmas Season to be a reason for hope.  It reminds us of God’s eternal plan, His gracious patience, and His infinite love.  We do not know how much longer the wait will be, but what we hunger for, the personal presence of the Prince of Peace, will be worth the wait!

With our nation on a razor’s edge, the days are getting shorter — and darker.

In fact, the winter solstice is coming in a couple of weeks on Dec. 21, marking the shortest day on the calendar and thus the darkest time of the year.

More than ever, it’s better to look to the heavenly light of Bethlehem instead of, say, the gaslight emanating from the pixels of a profoundly corrupt media.

A random sampling of news every day can inflict whiplash. Conservative outlets report, in detail, numerous documented allegations of vote fraud that should invalidate Joe Biden’s reported victory in most of the battleground states.

During the same news cycle, the major networks and papers like The Washington Post and The New York Times assure us over and over that there is “no evidence.” Because the evidence is piling up, some have taken to adding an adjective, saying there’s no evidence of “systemic fraud.”

In other words, don’t believe your lying eyes. Their intention is to ensure that even if compelling evidence is revealed, the sheer weight of nonstop propaganda will frighten legislators and judges to head for the tall grass and decline to do their duty — even the U.S. Supreme Court.

More than ever, we need to pray that truth will prevail, that justice will be done and that God will have undeserved mercy upon us and our troubled country.

On the bright side, the dark days of December are a perfect time to celebrate the Lord arriving in the form of a baby 2,000 years ago as the greatest gift to humanity ever given. Jesus brought light, life and love and the promise of eternal salvation to a very dark world.

It’s why we celebrate by putting up Christmas lights, giving gifts and singing carols.

The most significant event in history evokes different feelings depending on one’s heart condition. In 1868, Phillips Brooks wrote the lyrics of a beloved carol that resound to this day.

The last two lines of the first verse indicate that not everyone would be happy that the Lord would engage His creation so personally:

O little town of Bethlehem,
How still we see thee lie!
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep
The silent stars go by;
Yet in the dark street shineth
The everlasting Light;
The hopes and fears of all the years
Are met in thee tonight.

Fears? Yes. If Christ is Who He says He is, then those who reject Him are choosing misery over hope, consciously or not. They brush away evidence of God’s love, relegating stories of redemption to delusion, coincidence or even ultimate self-interest.

Theologian A.W. Tozer challenged the idea of God as an absentee creator, a “Blind Watchmaker,” as prominent atheist Richard Dawkins titled his 1986 book:

Be assured that God did not create life and toss it from Him like some petulant artist disappointed with His work. All life is in Him and out of Him, flowing from Him and returning to Him again, a moving indivisible sea of which He is the fountainhead.

It may sound a lot like The Force in “Star Wars,” but the difference is stark. There is no “dark side” in God, Who is indivisible, omnipotent and all loving. We’ll never know this side of eternity why evil exists. Or why God’s love is so deep that He sent His only Son to die on our behalf. But nothing should stop us from being grateful for the gift of life itself and all that sustains it.

For Christ is born of Mary,
And fathered all above,
While mortals sleep, the angels keep
Their watch of wondering love.
O morning stars, together
Proclaim the holy birth
And praises sing to God, the King,
And peace to men on earth.

The reason for the season speaks to all people, even unbelievers. The beauty of Christmas transcends doubts and calms hearts. It’s hard to be callous toward Salvation Army bellringers tending their red kettles or to shut off one’s heart upon hearing the melodies of carols that pierce the soul and offer hope. Timeless, classic movies like “It’s a Wonderful Life” can elicit tears from even the crustiest viewers.

How silently, how silently,
The wondrous Gift is given!
So God imparts to human hearts
The blessings of His heaven.
No ear may hear His coming,
But in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive Him still,
The dear Christ enters in.

In our culture, we’re told, over and over, that meekness is weakness; that looking out for No. 1 is the smartest way to live and that only fools bend their knee to an invisible God. But God-inspired goodness and truth are the most disarming forces on Earth.

In 1994, Mother Teresa spoke at a prayer breakfast, flanked by President Bill and Hillary Clinton and Vice President Al and Tipper Gore.  The two couples sat stone-faced as she proposed a “culture of life” and called abortion evil. At one point, Mr. Clinton’s hand was shaking nervously, apparently in reaction to the spiritual strength in this tiny, fearless woman.

Whatever happens with the election, we need to keep our eyes on the God Who promises not only salvation and mercy but courage to face the future and act accordingly.

Robert Knight is a contributor to The Washington Times, where this article was originally published. His website is roberthknight.com. 

My wife and I recently took our four children to see the Festival of Lights in East Peoria. If you’ve never been, it’s said to be one of the Midwest’s “largest lighted holiday events.” Some individual displays (such as the steam train) are comprised of tens of thousands of lights, with the total number of lights running into the millions.

As we drove through the displays, we saw reindeer, toy soldiers, dinosaurs, dragons, spaceships, and more. There’s plenty to dazzle the eye, to be sure.

One thing you won’t see, however, is any reference to the real meaning of Christmas.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not against doing things at Christmastime that are just fun family activities. Not everything has to be deeply meaningful. But even so, the absence of Jesus at a massive Christmas event serves as a good reminder of the divide between our secular world and those of us who are believers in Christ.

After all, what does the world really have to celebrate at Christmas besides lights, glitter, gifts, and perhaps vague ideas of peace on earth and goodwill toward men?

We have so much more.

We have Emmanuel—God with us. The very Son of God left the glory of heaven to live with mankind in this cursed world full conflict, hardship, and sin.

He became a man so He could die for man.

He was numbered among the transgressors so we could be numbered among the righteous.

He became the sacrificial lamb that takes away the sin of the world.

And He rose from the grave in victory and now sits at the right hand of God to make intercession for His people.

That’s a lot more to celebrate than lights, glitter, and gifts.

We have the reality of a God who loved us so much (John 3:16) that He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die for us while we were yet sinners (Romans 5:8).

Those are wonderful truths.

Sadly, the world around us can’t celebrate these things. And so the whole idea of Christmas, in too many cases, has changed into the commercial enterprise we see on display every year. Or, in some of its better forms, it’s simply a time of family togetherness and maybe some goodwill toward our fellow man.

Even that falls far short of the full, glorious meaning of Christmas.

I’m reminded of another truth as well: the fact that it’s possible for us to lament the social and moral decay all around us, yet still not have Christ ourselves. It’s possible for us to have all the right convictions and still be separated from God.

Yes, we can be politically conservative, hold to traditional family values, and still be dead in our sins with nothing to look forward to beyond eternity in hell.

I was in that place myself at one time, years ago.

I had the right beliefs, but I hadn’t encountered Christ. At best I had a dual trust, split between Christ and myself. How easy it is to fall into the trap of thinking we can contribute something to our own salvation! Then one night, God showed me that Christ had done everything to pay for my sins and that there was nothing I could add to what He had done. And it was at that moment—lying in bed alone as a young man—that I declared my trust in Christ alone.

Our values, beliefs, and worldview may be important, but they don’t save us. Salvation is through Christ alone.

I hope that everyone reading these words is able to celebrate Christmas for the right reason this year. I hope you’ve found new life in Christ and have hope both for today and for eternity. But if not, I pray that you’ll see your need for a Redeemer, turn from your sin, pride, and self-sufficiency, and trust Christ alone as your only hope to escape the just punishment for sin.

That, after all, is what Christmas is all about. Jesus came to seek and to save that which was lost. And that’s something worth celebrating.

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Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!  May the peace and love of “the baby born in Bethlehem” be in your heart this season and throughout the year. It is an amazing gift to be able to freely celebrate our faith and to proclaim the birth of our Savior who came to give life and give it abundantly (John 10:10).

Our Christian faith is centered on the belief that our perfectly holy, omnipotent God had a virgin give birth to His only Son who became a carpenter, a healer and a teacher. When Jesus’ life, teachings and followers threatened the religious order of the day, He was rejected, betrayed, humiliated and brutally crucified on a Roman cross in order to pay the penalty for our sins. When He defeated death three days later, He secured salvation for all who willingly confess that He is Lord (Romans 4:25; 10:9-10).

Our culture desperately needs the life found only in Jesus Christ, and our culture will be attracted to Jesus Christ not because He is safe,  popular, or relevant or because His followers vote a certain way. They are attracted to Jesus Christ because He is the Truth Incarnate (John 14:6; 18:37), and the truth is attractive to every human being.

Thank you for standing with us as we boldly stand for truth in the public square here in Illinois. We pray this that this Christmas season you and your family will rejoice in how marvelous it is that our Savior came to us from Glory, through a virgin, to a manger. Only our wondrous God could have ordained such a gift! We also pray that your willingness to shine the light before others (Matthew 5:16) will touch the lives of friends, relatives and neighbors during this Christmas season and throughout the new year.

And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory,
the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
~John 1:14~

More than 2,000 years ago He was born in Bethlehem. This Baby, born of a virgin, of the lineage of King David, was the long-awaited savior, the Lamb of God, the Prince of Peace — the Word of God in flesh (John 1:14).

The prophet Isaiah wrote:

The Lord himself will choose [a] sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel — ‘God is with us.’

The prophet Micah foretold:

You, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, are only a small village in Judah. Yet a ruler of Israel will come from you, one whose origins are from the distant past.

People may try to deny who He was, but His birth, His death, and His resurrection changed the course of history. Our very calendars reflect His existence: the date assignation A.D. being Latin for “Anno Domini” translated “in the year of the Lord.”

The entire world recognizes Christ’s birth daily with the dating of documents!

Surely this was no ordinary man whose birth altered the calendar!?

Consider that Jesus’ birth fulfills over 300 Old Testament prophecies. What are the odds?

Bible scholars tell us that nearly 300 references to 61 specific prophecies of the Messiah were fulfilled by Jesus Christ. The odds against one person fulfilling that many prophecies would be beyond all mathematical possibility.

It could never happen, no matter how much time was allotted. One mathematician’s estimate of those impossible odds is “one chance in a trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion.”

Isaiah penned the words foretelling the birth of Jesus that inspired the great composer George Frideric Handel to write the Messiah:

For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

And the apostle Paul described the humility and sacrifice of Christ in Philippians:

Who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.

And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:6-11)

At this wonderful time of year, even a darkened world celebrates Christmas, the commemoration of Christ’s birth.

But that foretold miraculous birth was only the beginning.

The nativity is merely the first chapter of God’s plan of redemption that culminated in Christ’s death on the cross and resurrection from the dead. As a result, anyone who calls upon  the name of the Lord Jesus Christ in faith will be redeemed from the eternal consequences of sin. (Romans 10:13)

As written in Matthew:

And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins. (Matthew 1:21)

I pray that you will celebrate the hope of the season: the Savior has come to reconcile us to God! And because He lives, we can live!

May the blessings of this season fill your hearts with joy!

Last month a Woolworth store in Germany made headlines in the UK and in the U.S. for proclaiming itself to be a “Muslim” store, and therefore it would no longer carry Christmas items. There’s more to the story – as the local management of the store defended itself by saying that there was such little demand for the Christmas products, they decided the shelf space was better used with other items. You can read about it here, here and here and decide for yourself what to believe.

Christmas as controversy is not new, of course, as the debate over whether to say “happy holidays” or “merry Christmas” has long been a part of American pop culture. It even made an appearance in the 2016 presidential campaign as the question whether saying “merry Christmas” is offensive to some delicate ears. Donald Trump said often on the campaign trail that if he was elected, “we’re gonna be saying Merry Christmas at every store … You can leave happy holidays at the corner”:

“I love Christmas. I love Christmas. You go to stores, you don’t see the word Christmas. It says happy holidays all over. I say, ‘Where’s Christmas?’ I tell my wife, ‘Don’t go to those stores.’”

With the election of Trump, a writer at New York Magazine weighed in:

And so it is apparently ‘safe’ for Christians to be rude to their Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, or nonreligious friends and colleagues by regaling them with sectarian holiday greetings. The war on common courtesy has apparently been subordinated to the war on ‘political correctness.’

Dennis Prager, who is Jewish, has a different take (the video is embedded below):

I’m a non-Christian. I’m a Jew. Christmas is not a religious holy day for me. But I’m an American, and Christmas is a national holiday in my country. It is, therefore, my holiday – though not my holy day – as much as it is for my fellow Americans who are Christian. That’s why it’s not surprising that it was an American Jew, Irving Berlin, who wrote “White Christmas,” one of America’s most popular Christmas songs. In fact, according to a Jewish musician writing in the New York Times, “Almost all the most popular Christmas songs were written by Jews.” Apparently all these American Jews felt quite included by Christmas!

By not wishing me a Merry Christmas, you are not being inclusive. You are excluding me from one of my nation’s national holidays.

. . .

The vast majority of Americans who celebrate Christmas, and who treat non-Christians so well, deserve better.

So, please say ‘Merry Christmas’ and ‘Christmas party’ and ‘Christmas vacation.’ If you don’t, you’re not ‘inclusive.’ You’re hurtful.

The American Family Institute has posted a version of a naughty and nice list with its “Rating the Top Retailers and How They Market to Christmas Shoppers.” They divide up American businesses into three categories: Nice, Marginal, and Naughty — this is from their website:

Among the Nice “5-Star” companies listed are Walmart, Cracker Barrel and Hobby Lobby. At the other end of the spectrum — the Naughty kids — are companies like Barnes & Noble, Best Buy and Pet Smart. Pet Smart may carry Santa suits for dogs, but we all know Santa doesn’t exactly serve to emphasize the “Christ” in “CHRISTmas,” so that doesn’t count.

Before you head out the door for another round of Christmas shopping, visit the American Family Institute’s “Naughty (and Marginal) and Nice” list. AFA even invites recommendations for their list, though they don’t include local or regional companies — only nationally-recognized companies.

Merry Christmas!